CVE-2017-3561 in VM VirtualBox
Summary
by MITRE
Vulnerability in the Oracle VM VirtualBox component of Oracle Virtualization (subcomponent: Core). Supported versions that are affected are Prior to 5.0.38 and Prior to 5.1.20. Easily "exploitable" vulnerability allows low privileged attacker with logon to the infrastructure where Oracle VM VirtualBox executes to compromise Oracle VM VirtualBox. While the vulnerability is in Oracle VM VirtualBox, attacks may significantly impact additional products. Successful attacks of this vulnerability can result in takeover of Oracle VM VirtualBox. CVSS 3.0 Base Score 8.8 (Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability impacts). CVSS Vector: (CVSS:3.0/AV:L/AC:L/PR:L/UI:N/S:C/C:H/I:H/A:H).
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 04/09/2025
The vulnerability identified as CVE-2017-3561 resides within Oracle VM VirtualBox's Core subcomponent, representing a critical security flaw that undermines the integrity and availability of virtualized environments. This vulnerability affects specific versions of Oracle VM VirtualBox prior to 5.0.38 and 5.1.20, making it a significant concern for organizations relying on virtualization technology for their infrastructure. The flaw's classification as easily exploitable indicates that attackers with minimal privileges can leverage this weakness to compromise the virtualization platform, creating a substantial risk to enterprise security operations.
The technical nature of this vulnerability stems from insufficient input validation and memory handling mechanisms within the VirtualBox Core component, which allows attackers to manipulate the virtualization environment through carefully crafted inputs. The Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) classification for this type of vulnerability typically falls under CWE-121, which encompasses stack-based buffer overflow conditions, or potentially CWE-787, representing out-of-bounds write vulnerabilities. These weaknesses enable attackers to execute arbitrary code within the context of the VirtualBox process, effectively granting them control over the virtualization platform itself.
Operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond the immediate compromise of Oracle VM VirtualBox, as it can significantly affect other products and systems within the broader virtualization ecosystem. The CVSS 3.0 score of 8.8 reflects the high severity of this flaw, with impacts spanning confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Attackers who successfully exploit this vulnerability can achieve complete takeover of the VirtualBox environment, potentially gaining access to all virtual machines running on the compromised host. This scenario creates cascading effects throughout the organization's virtual infrastructure, as the compromised host may contain multiple virtualized applications, databases, and operating systems.
The attack vector requires only local access to the system where Oracle VM VirtualBox executes, making it particularly dangerous in environments where physical or administrative access is not adequately restricted. This low privilege requirement aligns with the CVSS vector AV:L/AC:L/PR:L, indicating that attackers need only local login credentials to exploit the vulnerability. The security implications are further compounded by the potential for privilege escalation and lateral movement within the virtualized environment, as compromised virtual machines can serve as launching points for attacks on other systems within the network.
Mitigation strategies for CVE-2017-3561 primarily focus on immediate patching of affected Oracle VM VirtualBox installations to versions 5.0.38 or 5.1.20 and later. Organizations should implement strict access controls and privilege management to limit local system access, particularly for virtualization hosts. Network segmentation and monitoring solutions should be deployed to detect anomalous behavior that might indicate exploitation attempts. The ATT&CK framework would categorize this vulnerability under techniques such as T1059 for command and scripting interpreter, and potentially T1068 for exploit for privilege escalation, making defensive measures crucial for preventing exploitation. Additionally, regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning of virtualization environments should be conducted to identify similar weaknesses that might exist in other components of the virtual infrastructure.